Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, right, testified to a Senate panel Tuesday about his knowledge of the targeting of conservative groups.

Written by

Gregory Korte
| USA Today

Former Internal Revenue Service commissioner Douglas Shulman said he was "dismayed and saddened" by revelations that his agency targeted conservative political groups for extra scrutiny, and said he had been unaware of it.

In testimony to the Senate Finance Committee, Shulman said he didn't know about the targeting, even after other IRS officials had ordered that it stop. He said the actions of the tax-exempt office gave "the appearance that the agency was not acting as it should be - that is, as a nonpolitical, nonpartisan agency."